Don’t be afraid to think inside the box when it comes to wine

First, let’s dispatch with the idea that wine in boxes — actually bags/pouches inside of boxes — can’t be good, even very good. Truth is, it can. Plus, it can be economical and easier on the environment than conventional bottles.

Wine drinkers all over the world have figured out that some wines will do just fine in the box/pouch delivery method –– some will even do better. Whereas wine in a bottle, once opened, ought to be consumed in the next few hours or certainly days, wine in a box can hold its own for four to six weeks in some cases.

The enemy of wine is air. Once you open a bottle of wine, the battle is on. But wine in a box is essentially in a collapsing bladder. You pour a couple of glasses, the bladder shrinks, you put it away and pick up where you left off the next time you need a glass. Plus, there is no bottle to carry around or dispose.